428
by HeardThemStirring
Summary: Draco Malfoy had been bitter and selfish his entire life. Leave it to Hermione Granger to come along and rearrange the entirety of his existence...then drop him like a stone. Please review. I'd like to know if I should continue this story.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey there people. I know my other fanfic is nowhere near done but quite frankly I want to write a Dramione. This one will hopefully be a bit more mature (not in the sexual sense…well idk yet hah) in writing style/ characterizations. So the story line runs along a rather scattered timeline, written in short segments that map out certain days. I suppose you can relate it to the way (500) Days of Summer bounces around, or perhaps consider then a series of "one-shots" documenting the couple's past, present and future. I'll be continuing certain chapters but the story line is by no means linear. Consider yourselves warned! If you like what you read, _please_ read and review. Okay, I'll end this ridiculously long A/N now. **

**(AU)**

**__428__**

October 14. 2001

Rain poured down in heavy sheets upon the quiet town of Drensin. A solitary figure held a jet black umbrella, standing tall and loping through the inclement weather with a gait that visibly claimed authority. He was the only one within sight who had dared to brave a storm of this magnitude.

Draco Malfoy walked with a purpose. That much was visible in his steel grey eyes as they raked across the empty streets, meticulously taking note of the numbers that labeled the buildings. "Four twenty five...six...seven.." he said aloud, until his gaze rested upon the object of his search. 428. He had arrived at the location that would either spell his absolute demise or redemption. At this point, he was content with either outcome. All his mangled heart longed for was closure.


	2. Chapter 2: Cat and Mouse

Six Months Earlier

…

April 4th. 2001

Giggles erupted from a curly haired brunette as she was chased by a tall man around their spacious flat. "Hermione!" She heard his melodious voice call from behind her. His footsteps were light and increasing in pace. Smiling widely, she darted through a lavish doorway and ducked into a drawing room. A dead end. Her giggles died down and sighing, she turned to face her boyfriend. Their afternoon game of cat and mouse had drawn to a close. Draco, however, was nowhere to be found. She held the tie she had stolen from him, the item that had sparked his pursuit, loosely in her hands as she stared blankly at the empty hallway. "Draco?" She called out. The responding silence was deafening. She took two unsteady paces forward, the sound of her footsteps echoing throughout the apartment. "Draco?" she repeated a second time, this time in a louder more serious tone. It wasn't like him to give up when she took something from him, much less his favorite tie.

It was _less_ like him to vanish into thin air.

Her smile faded entirely as she wandered to the bedroom. It was empty. A sinking sensation entered her stomach as she began to feel genuinely worried. It was 2003. The war had ended five years ago; however the fear of that era had birthed still, on occasion, managed to creep its way back into her psyche. This was one of those moments.

_How silly of you…_ she thought as she worried that something had happened to him, _Draco was on…the __**other**__ side._ The simple idea made her uncomfortable and she skirted it out of her mind. He had changed so much it seemed unfair to even consider that past monster a former  
version of himself.

Hermione sat on the edge of the bed, lost in thought and momentarily distracted from Draco's mysterious absence when she heard the light creaking of a floorboard. The sinking sensation returned to her stomach as her eyes frantically whipped around the room.

"Draco is that y--"

Her question was interrupted mid sentence as a blur of platinum blonde hair and designer fabric pounced on Hermione. Before she was even fully aware of what had happened, she was pinned down onto the bed. Draco's hands held her arms down onto the soft down comforter of his bed, his knees on either side of her as he crouched over Hermione, careful not to crush her beneath him as she lay flat on her back.

"Draco Malfoy," she hissed, her eyebrows furrowed as she glared up at him. She hated being surprised.

"Yes, darling?," he purred.

"Get OFF me."

"Im sorry. I thought you understood that being snuck up on was an occupational hazard of stealing my clothes." He smirked down at her and with a sigh, she released the emerald green, silk tie that had been wrapped around her fingers.

"Aren't you going to take it?" She asked after a moment of him simply staring at her.

"Hmm?" Draco murmured, kissing her lightly below her ear. "Oh... I _think_ we're both a bit more comfortable like this."

His lips curved upward into a half-smile before meeting hers, effectively ending the conversation.

**fin.**

**Read and REVIEW please. Should I keep doing short sporadic segments or something more along the lines of a linear story line? GAH I need your help people! haha**


	3. Chapter 3: Rain and Rejection

**A/N: I apologize for having taken so long. I've just mapped out the general direction of this fanfic seeing as I've decided to continue. Many thanks to the lovely beings that have reviewed. Keep at it, folks! Please?**

A Year Before

...

October 3rd. 2000

It was 1am and Hermione Granger was sopping wet. Truly soaked to the bone, thanks to the storm that had decided to release its torrential downpour the _second_ she began walking home from work. The hem of her favorite skirt was frayed, having been caught on a file cabinet a work, and her makeup was smeared from the rain. The absolute _last_ thing she needed was an encounter with a childhood enemy. Nonetheless, whatever greater being rested above the black skies decided to have Himself a nice laugh and place him, _directly_ in her sodden path.

After stumbling over a curb and grumbling something that sounded rather like "damn it all to a wrackspurt's rear end", Hermione had taken a sharp left turn on her route home, cursing at herself for not simply apparating at work where she would have been out of the sight of muggles.

And then she saw it.

The reflection of a designer shoe and pant leg in the glistening puddle before her. Her eyes roamed from the brown leather shoe up to the face of its owner. _Damn it. Damn it. DAMN IT! _It took all in her power not to voice her thoughts out loud. Draco Malfoy was looking down at her. His silver eyes, several inches above hers, stared in complete and utter shock. It seemed as if he had _almost _forgotten to sneer. Just almost. Once he had regained himself, he spat a terse "Granger," his eyes turning from shock to a mix of disgust and ennui.

_There it is, _Hermione thought to herself as she stared up at him, her eyes cold. "Malfoy." she responded.

As he stood there awkwardly for a moment, Hermione noted stark differences in boy she had loathed for so long. His eyes, usually reflecting a supercilious sparkle, were tired and beaten; even in regarding her with supposed repugnance his manner lacked the acridity of its former glory. His pale skin lacked the pearly luster it had so perfectly shined with during their Hogwarts career and its appeared as though it had been replaced with a lifeless pallor.

"You're all wet." He noted with weariness, his eyes glancing around as if to make sure the conversation wasn't being seen by anyone else.

"Obviously." She said with an air of annoyance. Much to Hermione's frustration, a light drizzle had picked up once more. "May I pass through now?"

Malfoy raised an eyebrow at her, obviously biting back his tongue. Ever since the war it seemed he was making a conscious effort to rid himself of his past ways. Instead of offering a witty retort he simply stepped aside and bit back a groan. Just as she was nearly rid of him, a black object was thrust before her, blocking her path. "Seriously Malfoy. Just let me--" her voice trailed off as she realized the object was a closed umbrella as dark as the starless sky above them. "What is this?" She asked, staring at the umbrella as if it were about to make fun of her.

"Its an umbrella, Granger. For Merlin's sake, they call you the brightest witch of our age?" Malfoy responded, rolling his eyes.

"I know that you prat. Why the bloody hell are you stabbing it at me?"

Malfoy glared at her, frustrated with the fact that being nice was so much harder than being rude. "Do you want the umbrella or not?"

Hermione's eyes widened slightly. "Oh," she said, surprised. Malfoy was actually being _nice_? It couldn't be. People could change but not to _that_ extent. The umbrella was probably cursed or something of the sort. "I'm quite fine, thank you." Hermione said, lightly pushing the thing out of her way and continuing on her way, without so much as a goodbye to the boy that had so heavily antagonized himself towards her at Hogwarts.

Draco simply stood, alone with the sounds of the droplets of rain that disturbed the peace of the puddles at his feet and the echos of her strapless heels clicking upon the wet cement around the distant corner.


	4. Chapter 4: Eggshell and Offwhite

**A/N: I'm going to be out of school for a wee bit, so expect a few updates within the next week or so. I apologize for making this chapter so short. I simply thought the idea was cute :) Read and review, please.**

June 22nd. 2001

"Honestly, Draco. I see absolutely no difference between the two," Hermione whined lightly, as she leaned against the wall of what was now _their_ living room. She was currently in the process of moving in and Draco, always one for opulence, had decided to have a decorator redo the entire flat. It was, in her opinion, silly and overdone but he seemed rather set on making her arrival as big a deal as possible and she tried to be as patient as possible with the situation. All that was left was choosing wall colors. After nearly an hour of Draco bickering with the decorator on the phone, they had narrowed their options down to two paint samples: eggshell and off-white. Hermione could not, for the life of her, note any difference between the two colors. They were simply "white" and "white". She didn't dare mention it to Draco though, for he'd most likely call her uncultured, similar to that time she said she'd rather sit home and read Hogwarts, a History than go to the new (and expensive) restaurant in the city.

Draco frowned down at the two paint samples in his hands. In his opinion, the difference between the two colors was incredibly obvious.

"How many times do I have to say it? They're _completely_ different colors! Are you blind? I might as well be holding up black and white!"

Hermione gave him a sharp look.

"I'm not joking here, I'm completely serious…just _choose_ Hermione," Draco said in a tone meant to be stern, but he found her rather endearing when she was upset and was unable to resist a bright smile.

"You really know how to charm a girl, Draco," she replied sarcastically.

He smiled, "Why waste all my time and energy on tact when I can just use a wand to charm someone?"

"You can't magic your way into love. It's not _that_ easy."

Draco nodded in agreement and smiled slightly, wrapping an arm around her waist, "Im quite sure you're living proof of that one, Hermione. Now _choose._"

She sighed and looked down at the paint samples. "This one. Eggshell." She stated, pointing at the one on the left.

"Darling, that's off-white."

Hermione glared at him once more, "I _swear_ on Godric's _grave_ if you--"

"Calm down! Merlin, I'm only kidding," Draco grinned and kissed her lightly on the cheek, "Eggshell it is."


	5. Chapter 5: So Many Books

**A/N: I've gone back and edited the dates to include the year so that this is somewhat easier to follow. I promise it'll be linear at some point in the future. For now, I've decided to have basically a couple timelines going on at the same time. I apologize if its hard to follow! I'm a LOST fan so I suppose I'm desensitized to confusion. Sorry!**

**P.S. Another writer doing a similar yet much less confusing timeline is the great x'dinosauce. I _highly_ recommend her story :)**

**October 4th. 2000 (A Continuation of Chapter Three: Rain and Rejection)**

The dull scratch of a quill writing vigorously against a parchment was the only sound that reverberated throughout the quiet office. Coming into the office before even the cleaning crew arrived had become a habit of Hermione's and today, she characteristically sat behind her desk working at 6:20 AM. Books, stacked in piles situated randomly around her workspace, nearly hid her entirely from the view of passerby's yet this was her literary kingdom and she wouldn't have preferred it any other way.

And so, when Draco Malfoy walked casually into her office four hours later, he was under the impression that the "book keeper" ,as the secretary had called her, was absent. He had turned to leave when he sighted the top of her head, her hair pinned into a lazy bun, through a miniscule crack of space left between two tall stacks of books. Their peculiar meeting the day before had left him frustrated with her. Perplexed. Draco Malfoy was used to getting anything Draco Malfoy desired. And although he'd never admit to wanting to be well liked by anyone (much less a mudblood) some deep corner of his being longed for it. Her standing up to his attempt at cordiality had intrigued him and quite frankly, he wanted more. The emotion confused him, and he saw it as some cruel twist of fate or a harsh joke made by a greater being who wished to drive him to his demise, yet Draco pursued it nonetheless. Being known to collect books, he had decided that the _least_ suspicious way to find the root of the cause for his peculiar emotions towards her was to spend more time with her. Malfoy planned to request that she help him restart his search for an original copy of _An Anthology of Eighteenth Century Charms. _

"Granger?" he said in a quiet voice, peeking through the space between the two piles of books. "Yes?" she responded absentmindedly, unaware of the owner of the voice she had just heard. Her eyes were hesitant to leave the parchment she was writing on, but they eventually did and the second hers met the grey eye she could see between her two piles of books she let out an involuntary gasp.

"YOU?"

Draco was somewhat offended, "Yes, me. What about _me_?" he spat.

"You! Why are _you_ here?"

"I've come to ask you for a favor."

"What right do you have to come in and as _me_ for anything, Malfoy?"

"Well you happen to work with a book preservation firm and I happen to have a particular interest in finding an original copy of _An Anthology of Eighteenth Century Charms._"

She let out a cold laugh in spite of her secret interest in finding the book, "Well good luck with that."

"I was hoping you'd help me." He said, his face stolid and the most serious she had ever seen it.

"I see nothing in it for me."

Draco dropped a sack of galleons before her. "Well, now you do."

Hermione stared at the leather pouch of money. She could buy. So. Many. Books.

"I…" she stuttered, and bit her lip.

"If you find it, I'll throw in one of my original copies of _Hogwarts, A History_."

Hermione's wide eyes stared up at him in complete shock. Her gaze turned to a glare, "Damn you, Malfoy."

A small smile spread across his lips. He _knew_ that it'd be an irresistible prospect to her now.

She groaned loudly, "Alright, I'm in."

**Review?**


	6. Chapter 6: The First I Love You

June 31st. 2001 (Right after "Chapter Four: Eggshell and Off-White")

Draco Malfoy could not tell how long he had been lying in bed staring at the eggshell-colored ceiling of their bedroom. All he _did_ know definitively was that it had been incredibly dark when he woken, and it was still rather dark out. _2am perhaps?_ He thought to himself. Sleep, for some reason, felt impossible. His initial thought had been to simply leaf through his antique, yet preserved by spell work, copy of _An Anthology of Eighteenth Century Charms_ until sleep claimed him, however Hermione was, as usual, using his bare arm as a pillow and he didn't feel particularly inclined to moving. With her comfortably resting upon his arm and shoulder, he settled for simply thinking about the book. Not the content, but rather the context in which he had purchased it. He could still recall the day the two of them had finally tracked down a copy of that particular book in some private museum of a long deceased man. Once they had found the thing Malfoy had made easy work of obtaining it, seeing as it was purely a matter of waving enough money at the blokes keeping it in the museum.

The memory made him smile. Hermione had truly despised him when he had first approached her with the goal of finding said book, yet somehow, the mix of accomplishment at finally having found it and the changes she had noticed in him culminated into her accepting his simple three word proposition: "Shall we celebrate?"

The drinks, the joking, the celebrating…the drinks, all helped him finally ask her out and she had miraculously accepted. Being a mere six months ago, Draco found himself pleased at how their relationship had managed to progress. He seemed to have replaced the vast amounts of hate that dwelled within him with love, although you'd never find _him_ using the word. He had changed but he was still a Malfoy. Resultantly, love was more of an unspoken concept between the two of them. He was positive she knew he adored her and he liked to think it was reciprocated. _That has to be enough, right?_ He thought to himself.

His musings were interrupted by Hermione shifting her head from his arm to his chest as she nestled closer to him. Draco's smile grew and he gently rested his now free arm around her waist. It seemed silly to him that she'd still somehow manage to leave him breathless with such simple and unconscious actions, but he hoped it never ended. Seeing as she had moved, Draco now had a perfect view of the clock, which spelled a large 3:29am. He let out a small groan, causing Hermione to stir once more.

"Draco?" she murmured in a barely audible voice, her eyes still closed.

"Yes?" He responded quietly, holding his breath in anticipation for an answer.

She was asleep before she had voiced a response, a smile on her lips. It still thrilled Draco to know _he_ had put that smile there. He mirrored her smile. Unspoken vows of love _weren't _enough. It was time to be, not a Malfoy, but a proper man and just say it. He slowly rolled onto his side, letting her slide off of his chest and into the area of bed that rested beside him. The movement woke up a groggy Hermione.

She let out a small groan. "What's happening?" she asked, blinking her eyes in an effort to wake herself up.

Draco leaned over her, a grin reflective of perfect bliss playing on his lips, "I love you."

Hermione raised her eyebrows in shock, before a wide smile spread across her lips. She swallowed before voicing her response, "As I love you."

Draco's smile turned near angelic as he leaned down and kissed her in entirely new manner. A manner laced with the emotion that had been subtly pulsing through him from the moment he had seen her on the street all those months ago. It was love.

_____

**Hey lovelies. Review?**

**P.S. I'm not sure if I'm too fond of this chapter (its very sappy if you haven't noticed haha) but we're nearing the "Present timeline" in which the story will turn linear. SO if you guys want me to cover any aspect of their history before making the story linear, submit your suggestions either in the review box or just message me! :)**


	7. Chapter 7: 428

**Hey people! Guess what? This story is about to go (sort of) linear. FINALLY hahaha. This means that we will be reverting back to the present timeline presented in the very first chapter. This one might be a bit…sad as far as the love story goes but I can assure you'll it'll be up and running soon enough. **

**PS There will still be "flashbacks" but they will be within present-day chapters. **

**Read and review, please! :)**

October 14. 2001

Draco stood numbly in front of three steps that led to a menacing green door, on which, in gold faded ink, were written three digits: 428. Three simple digits that had cost him months to track down. Three digits that represented a locale that was home to a girl he had once intended to marry and live the rest of his life contentedly with; but, just like the meek numbers that had faded from gold to their current dull mustard hue, the possibility of that lifestyle had long ebbed away, its byproduct the wreck of a man that was now Draco Malfoy.

The rain clouds were unleashing the worst of their inclement showers, unconsciously mirroring the tumultuous emotions Draco felt deep within himself. Grasping his black umbrella tightly, enough to make his knuckles stretch white over his already pale skin, he took the first step up towards the door. His heart felt as if it had done a backflip at the prospect of Hermione opening the door. He strode gracefully up the last two steps and, as his expectations for their encounter lined up in front of him, something almost resembling a smile began to appear on his lips . He had found her.

In an ideal world, Hermione would open the door and burst into tears of joy at the sight of him. She would accept his "I'm sorry"s and reciprocate his "I love you"s. But this was not an ideal world and after knocking three times on the green door, it swung open, revealing a gangly figure with bright red hair and a fierce scowl. Ronald Weasley.

Ronald Weasley was standing in _her _house. In _her _house, protectively blocking the doorway. _HE, Ronald Weasley, is protecting HER from ME? _

Jealously and anger frothed hot and acidic within Draco as he stared at the reason for their break-up. _The filthy Weasel's nose seems to have healed quite nicely._ Draco thought to himself, having punched Ron in the face only a month before. Ron had come to their flat, trying to convince Hermione to leave Draco, upsetting her to the point of tears and Draco had simply…reacted. His reaction, something that had horrified Hermione beyond belief, and Ron's speech, something Draco had considered quite pathetic, had somehow managed to convince her to leave, ultimately driving Draco to arrive at this very doorstep a month later, going against everything in his nature to try to win her back.

The ginger was the first to speak, "Malfoy," he voiced in a terse tone.

"Where is she?" Draco asked, his grey eyes stone-like as they stared at Ron's freckled face with disgust.

"You have no right to--"

"Where _is_ she?" Draco repeated, his tone telling of the fact that he was getting dangerously close to blowing his top.

"I'm-- I'm not telling."

"Oh that's real mature Weasley," Draco responded, half expecting Ronald to stick his tongue out at him.

Ron simply shrugged and began to shut the door.

Draco's hand shot out and blocked the door from closing.

"Let go." Ron spat.

Draco's eyes met Ron for a moment. It was evident that Ron wasn't going to give in. Draco sighed, a pained expression beginning to make its way onto his face. He was broken.

Ron raised his eyebrows in shock at the sight of Draco's face. Their expression grew perplexed as a spark of hope grew in Draco's eyes.

"Hermione," Draco called out in a voice laden with emotion. "Hermione, I love you. And I'm positive a part of you loves me."

Ron rolled his eyes and began pushing Draco out of the doorway. Draco glared at Ron's hand on his chest, restraining himself from smacking it away. He simply raised his voice, "If you do…love me." his tone changed when it hit the word 'love', "Meet me at the corner café in half an hour. Please. I _need_ to talk to you."

"Bugger off." Ron said flatly and gave Draco a final shove, slamming the door in Draco's face.

Had Draco not been trying to win back Hermione, something that would not be helped by his murdering her best mate, Draco would have gladly shown Ronald exactly how he felt about Ron cozying up at Hermione's flat, but seeing as he was, he simply clenched his fist and made his way towards the café, praying that she would show up.

___

**Bah, Sorry if Draco seems OOC at the end there. I tried to make it seem like he's really just reached his point of utmost desperation...**


	8. Chapter 8: The Last Straw

Some Memories Are Best Left Forgotten.

October 14th. 2001.

As the rain persistently poured down upon his umbrella, Draco fought hard to keep himself from turning around and beating Weasley to a bloody pulp. _Hermione. Do it for Hermione. _He told himself repeatedly, taking deep breaths as he walked at a steady pace towards the café. It was exactly 6:26 in the afternoon. He'd be at the café at 6:30 and, if he had any semblance of luck, Hermione would arrive at 7:00. Maybe sooner? Hope fluttered feebly within him but he implored himself not to let it grow into actual expectation, for fear of being let down.

This was the last straw; coming and begging her to take him back was something that would have been completely below him a mere month ago, but Draco had changed. Love had distorted his pride into something somehow less important.

A light tinkling of a bell announced his entry into the unexceptional café and he seated himself in a threadbare green velvet chair, whose fabric had been worn thin, revealing a dull color. It reminded Draco of himself. He was broken and dejected. If she abandoned him now, he'd be utterly destroyed.

How had Draco's life had gone from spectacularly brilliant to a spiraling downfall into a pit of despair? It pained him to even begin to answer the question. But the memory of the fateful night that had sparked this wildfire of torment still plagued him, probably part of God's plan to draw out his punishment for his previous sins.

_The Breakup_

Draco and Hermione had woken up the same as any other Saturday. They had eaten breakfast, discussed the latest copy of a book by their favorite author, gone for a walk by their favorite pond. It was absolutely perfect. Looking back on it, Draco realized that for a person of his sort, perhaps it was too perfect to last long.

In the afternoon, the two of them cozied up on the couch, Hermione had declared that she was utterly famished and Malfoy had volunteered to get the two of them dinner from a local restaurant, disapparating from the apartment with a loud pop. Everything was perfectly normal. When he had apparated back into the hallway outside their flat a half hour or so later, however, things had changed. He could hear raised voices from within the apartment but could not recognize them. Adrenaline pulsed through him as he realized Hermione was in potential danger. Not bothering with the lock but rather shouldering his way into the flat, he drew his wand and frantically gave the room a cursory once-over. It took him a moment or two to absorb the situation. Hermione was sitting at the kitchen table, her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking with tears. Ron Weasley was standing over her, shouting something about how she had betrayed him and Harry.

"Hermione! The bloke made our lives a living hell. I don't care what he's like now, you _know_ that part of him still thinks you're a filthy little mudblood. He's probably using you!" Ron had yelled.

"Its not like tha--"

Hermione's response had been cut off the moment the door was forced open by Draco's shoulder.

Ron glared at him, stating in a low tone "You."

Draco returned Ron's glare, one Hermione had never seen contort Draco's features. It seemed like an odd mix of disgust and protectiveness. It seemed…dangerous.

Hermione stood up, the rims of her eyes red with tears, and made her way to Draco, "Draco, please. Calm down. He's just trying to help me. Don't do anything--"

At hearing Hermione's words, Ron's attention had been diverted from Draco and back to Hermione as he watched her speak to Malfoy, "Hermione how the _bloody_ hell can you talk to him like that. You're _such_ a traitor. You're a hypocrite! You might as well call yourself a bleeding _Slytherin._"

Hermione's eyes welled with tears. She couldn't stand hearing her best friend speak to her like this. Especially since half the things he was saying were true. She _had _ gone against her former self in accepting Draco as her boyfriend. The thought made Hermione back away from Draco, causing a slight smile to make its way onto Ron's features.

Draco's face was masked in shock. "Hermione, you're not actually _believing _what he's saying are you?" Hermione's face wore a tragic frown. She didn't want to believe Ron. She desperately wanted to simply lie in Draco's arms and forget about everything. But she could not, she _would_ not go against her friends. As much as she loved him, they were not meant to be. Ron's twenty minute long speech had explained that to her. She was almost embarrassed for having been so…stupid.

Draco was losing her.

Anger began to make its way through his psyche. Anger and pain.

Instantaneously, his balled up his fist and stepped forward, punching Ron square in the face. _That'll get rid his stupid sneer._

"Stop it! STOP Draco!" She yelled. _How could I have never seen how…jealous Draco was? _She thought to herself, turning from Ron's now bleeding face to Draco's. "Please Draco. We're…not meant to be." Tears began rolling down her face once more.

"Oh thats a complete lie and you know it, Hermione, I--"

Ron interrupted Draco, letting out a loud moan, holding his obviously broken nose.

"Don't make this harder than it has to be, Draco. Please…" Hermione's tears were now falling thicker and faster.

"No!" Draco said loudly. He saw Hermione grab Ron's arms and begin to turn on the spot. "NO!" he repeated, recognizing the fact that the two of them were going to apparate out of the flat.

And with a loud pop, Hermione and Ron were gone, leaving Draco in complete silence. His eyes welled up with tears of frustration and loss, and for one of the first times in his life, Draco Malfoy sank to the floor of his kitchen, and cried.

…

And now he was here. Sitting in a dingy café, waiting and praying for Hermione to show up. He responded to the waitresses' question "Can I get you something, love?" with a terse, "No. Thank you." then planted his eyes on the clock: 6:47

6:53

6:58

7:00

7:02

7: 10

Never in his life had a mere twenty minutes felt like a life-time. She…wasn't coming. It was obvious.

Pain tore his insides as the wretched minute-hand fell upon a damned 7:16. She wasn't coming. What now? He asked himself. I…can't…move on, he confessed to himself. _God, I'm such an idiot, why did I even come? _

And then he heard it. The light tone of a bell hanging off of the door handle of the entrance. His head immediately snapped up at the sound and there she was. Hermione Granger standing in a long rain-coat and a heavy scarf. Her eyes were, like the last time he had seen her, rimmed in red from obvious tears. But she had come to meet him. Draco stood faster than he had thought was humanly possible. "Hermione." was all he managed to say. And she walked towards him in response.

**_______**

**Talk about cliff-hanger, right?! haha. I'll try to update soon! :) In the meantime, review, please?**


	9. AUTHOR'S NOTE

**Author's Note:**

Lame, I know. I'm sorry. I hope I didn't get your hopes up for a chapter just yet.

I just wanted to let you all know that I'll FINALLY be updating within the week. I sincerely apologize for not updating this! I was busy with school/other fics and now that I'm out for summer holidays, I'll be updating more regularly. I'm thinking of actually finishing this fic up soon but if I get enough of a response I may make a sequel… Just letting you all know what's going on. THANKS SO MUCH TO ANY AND ALL REVIEWERS. If it weren't for you, I would have very likely forgotten about this fix and never updated, so much love to you all!

If you have any questions/comments/suggestions, please REVIEW! :D


	10. Chapter 9: New Beginnings

October 14th 2001. New Beginnings.

_And then he heard it. The light tone of a bell hanging off of the door handle of the entrance. His head immediately snapped up at the sound and there she was. Hermione Granger standing in a long rain-coat and a heavy scarf. Her eyes were, like the last time he had seen her, rimmed in red from obvious tears. But she had come to meet him. Draco stood faster than he had thought was humanly possible. "Hermione." was all he managed to say. And she walked towards him in response. _

"I…I didn't think you'd come." Draco stuttered, at a loss for words. He stepped forward, bridging the gap between the two of them. There she was. The object of his complete and utter fixation for the past months, months that felt like an eternity.

"Well…" Hermione said in a quiet, uncomfortable voice, her eyes avoiding his as she shrugged off her coat and folded it over her arm. "Here I am." Hermione could not explain to herself what had compelled her to come to this very café after she had told herself several times to completely block Draco out of her memory. Perhaps she was curious as to how exactly he had found her or perhaps she simply wanted to let him know that chasing after her was completely useless… or perhaps, this possibility frightening the stalwart Gryffindor more than anything ever had, she _did_ still love him. She shook her head slightly, trying to dismiss the thoughts that she had trained herself to consider as simply "wrong", a motion that perplexed Draco as he stood before her, carefully noting her every movement as he waited for the proper time to speak once more.

Draco allowed himself a half smile as he stared down at her with an expression that radiated with hope he lacked the willpower to quell any longer. "Hermione I-"

"Stop." Hermione interjected, her eyes finally meeting his. His stomach did summersaults as her eyes met his, yet her suddenly fierce expression took him aback. It was obvious that she was averse to exchanging trivial pleasantries or chit chat seeing as she cut straight to the point. "Why are you doing this to me, Draco?" she spat abruptly, "And how the _bloody hell _did you find me?"

His gaze fell to the ground and something that resembled panic and fury bubbled within him. _SHE is upset with ME? But she's the one who met me here, thus agreeing to see me! FOR MERLIN'S SAKE women are frustrating. _He thought to himself as he gathered a hasty response, "With enough determination and money, you can find just about anyone, Hermione. As for your first question, I don't particularly think _you're_ in a position to complain about any grievances I've caused you. You're the one who left… I-," he sighed and fought his temper, closing his eyes and rubbing his pale lids with one hand. "I'm sorry if I've hurt you in any way, really. But please, Hermione," He opened his eyes, focusing them on hers, "I'm the one here trying to make this work. I _need_ us to work. And your coming to meet me tells me that at least a small part of you wants it to work out too. I had told you to come under the condition that you still loved me. If you don't," Draco's face hinted at a pained frown, ", then lets not waste our time arguing. If you do…" he allowed himself the smallest smile, "Well…we shouldn't waste our time arguing then either."

Frowning lightly, the severity of her expression abating somewhat, Hermione sank to the seat opposite the green armchair and Draco mirrored her action, lowering himself tensely into his chair. They sat for a moment or so, simply wallowing in the silence as Draco's words penetrated Hermione's carefully guarded façade.

She opened her mouth to speak and did so in an almost robotic manner, as if her dialogue had been carefully thought out and rehearsed. "Draco…I just wanted to explain myself. You and I…we were a mistake-"

"You've brainwashed yourself into thinking-" Draco interjected, but Hermione continued talking.

"Let me finish, Draco." She paused and stared at him for a moment, making sure that her next statement would drive her point home. "I love you. I-I still do but being with you, its not solely my decision to make, Draco. I have other responsibilities...my friends-"

Draco's eyes had sparked at the word "love" and seeing her mind form a tangent away from the declaration he had been waiting for led him to immediately interrupt once more, "Hermione, please. If Ron and Harry are your 'friends' what did that make me? Just some bloke you happened to live with? Sure, they were-are- your friends. The Weasel and the Boy Who Lived-"

"Draco!" Hermione exclaimed, but he continued on without a hitch, "but _I _was your boyfriend. That has to count for something, no?"

"Its different…They're like my siblings," Hermione said, looking down at her hands, which were folded in her lap, "And they don't approve. I know you've changed but its impossible to forget that underneath it all you're still Draco Malfoy, the boy that was beyond cruel to us in school. I've seen your darker side and I can't just pretend it never existed."

Draco looked as if he had been slapped. Surely this was the universe's cruel way of making him repent for the cruelties and weaknesses of his youth. "I've-I've changed." He remarked pitifully, "Please, Hermione, you know that. Don't let their opinions impede on our happiness."

Hermione's eyes welled with tears as she looked upon Draco, his desperate expression contorting his painfully handsome face. She swallowed and bit her bottom lip, shaking her head, "I have to go," Her voice broke and a few tears escaped her glistening eyes. She had promised Harry and Ron that it was over. This was a matter of loyalty.

As she rose to her feet, she felt Draco's hand catch her, his long fingers wrapping around her arm.

"Draco, please." she said in a quiet voice.

"No." He asserted, "You've said you love me and I'm insane about you. Are you such a masochist as to deny yourself this reciprocated adoration?"

She stopped pulling away, crossing her arms in front of her. If this was a matter of loyalty, should it not be to the man she had professed her love to? Harry and Ron had their own lives, it was time to cast aside her Golden Trio days and settle for a blissful existence with a man she loved. She let out a small sigh then smiled lightly. Had she really thought that Draco Malfoy, the most stubborn man alive, would have let her come to this café and leave without making sure she realized she was still in love with him? No, she was quite sure he'd have sat there every evening until she accepted him. Some deeper part of her had probably anticipated this all along. She could deny it but it was futile, when it came down to it, Draco Malfoy was the most suitable man for her on the face of the planet.

Draco seemed to sense her change of heart and immediately began talking in a rushed tone, as if trying to make sure he could fit in his say before she changed her mind, "Hermione, lets start over again. Lets…" he thought for a moment, "Lets pretend we've never met and cast aside any and all preconceived notions."

"This is silly," she said, wiping her eyes with an elated laugh.

"I'm sorry who are you?" Draco teased with a wide smile. His eyes remained somewhat cautious, as if he expected to wake up from this dream in any moment.

"Draco, really, This is silly." She rebuffed.

"Introduce yourself… Humour me. This is _supposed_ to symbolize our starting fresh," he drawled with a the coy smile that had first won her over.

"Fine. My name is Hermione Granger and I think this is completely, incontrovertibly ridiculous"

He grinned then introduced himself, "I'm Draco Malfoy, and I am madly in love with you."

Hermione smiled widely and exhaled somewhat breathlessly before Draco wrapped his arms around her and kissed the lips he couldn't have ever forgotten.

Besides the fact that she'd have to face Ron and Harry in the morning, besides the fact that Draco would have to cancel the sale of the flat they had once shared, besides the fact that they would have to go public once more and face the scorn and shock of the general wizarding population, all was well, for Draco had his Hermione and Hermione had her Draco at long last.

**A/N: I'm quite sure this is the last chapter. Was it too corny? Should I end it here or add a conclusion chapter (or rather, a sequel fan fiction)? :O HELP ME DECIDE! haha. PLEASE REVIEW LOVELIES!**

**PS Sorry about Draco's epic old-time talk at some parts of this (and sorry if he's OOC at parts O_O). I'm re-reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies xD**


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